The Book of Coffee: A philosophy

by Julian Baggini, Julian Baggini

'What is so appealing about the ideas in this book is that we could pivot coffee from being the driving force behind excessive hours and a poor work-life balance into being a drink that lets us contemplate meaning and purpose in a different way.' James Hoffmann, author of the Sunday Times bestseller, How to Make the Best Coffee at Home.

Philosopher Julian Baggini and coffee expert James Hoffmann team up In this beguiling deep dive into the world's favourite hot drink, coffee.

Julian Baginni has long been fascinated by the philosophical underpinnings of how we eat and drink, and a chance encounter with an old, battered copy of The Book of Tea by Kakuza Okakura (published in 1906) led him on a journey to explore our relationship with coffee. Coffee is the ritual that begins and gets us through the day, whether chugged thoughtlessly on the long drive home, or artfully and ritualistically brewed as a moment of morning meditation. Coffee not only fuels us but has shaped the very fabric of modern life. Our cup of coffee allows for a moment of deeper connection, both with oneself and others, through attentive preparation and consumption. A moment to embrace life's absurdity with joy and alertness.

This little book on coffee is something ultimately enriching and life affirming, an elevation of the everyday and a pleasure to read, creating a treatise on how we can infuse the seemingly mundane with moments of mindful attention and meaning. It will appeal not only to coffee lovers but to anyone intrigued by the intersections of culture, philosophy, and everyday life. In tracing the deep roots of coffee in our imagination, The Book of Coffee reveals why this humble drink remains a profound and lasting symbol of life itself.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Food

176 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Julian Baggini is a British philosopher and the author of several books about philosophy written for a general audience. He is the author of The Pig that Wants to be Eaten and 99 other thought experiments (2005) and is co-founder and editor of The Philosophers' Magazine. He was awarded his Ph.D. in 1996 from University College London for a thesis on the philosophy of personal identity. In addition to his popular philosophy books, Baggini contributes to The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer, and the BBC. He has been a regular guest on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time.

Reviews

[Nils · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of missing logical links in the argumentation. Still this book is partially very powerful and has interesting viewpoints on humans, especially the one about technology and romance. That brought me to tears reading. Also the point of letting go of the misteriousness and of the age bias of the barista is very fascinating.

My criticism begins with the misinterpretation of Okakura’s quote with the tea masters, because it clearly does instead relate to the beauty of the outstanding work that the tea masters did and not because they found beauty in the ordinary. Also, Okakura’s status in this book is irritating and he should be criticized for idealizing eastern ideas over western ones, which, adding to the general superiority of this book to The book of tea, this book does not try to persue.

The Mono No Aware link to eating sweets with coffee does not make sense and lastly, there is a kind of redundancy in mentioning some of Okakura’s quotes as they do not add any new information.

Still, most of this book is very enjoyable. But, the seriousness of it derails a bit towards the middle - end because of the reasons stated above.

I would still recommend it to someone who is trying to get more out of life, although it only scratches the surface of egoism and why it is ruining western society, further stated in Chögyam Trunpa‘s Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have little to no experience with ether Japanese tea ceremonies or the British high tea, I do understand the ritual nature of preparing a drink or meal. There certainly is the ability for a philosophical understanding of and the tendency of humans to develop a particular “view/philosophy” regarding specific routines. I enjoyed the book and found many of Baggini’s insights thoughtful and informative. I recommend the book.

[Josh Lieuallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often we get such a well-rounded and thoughtful view of coffee from outside the industry. Some exist within, but the majority have gotten a reputation for pretension, or at worst, self-aggrandizing. Julian and James’ perspectives are the perfect reminder for the importance of the small and temporary, especially with coffee.

[Anthony Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Bjoern · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. I'm so glad Jim took it and offered a fore- and afterword. Otherwise I surely would have missed this philosophical piece around coffee and coffee culture ☕

[Sara Dorodango · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the base literature!